Georgia Perimeter College

I am a 1st year nursing student at GPC and am having a very difficult time right now with my decision for coming to this school. The program is very unorganized. Here is a list of the problems I have found so far:
1. There are only 2 allowed check-off chances for skills. You are given a PLA which is supposed to be a teaching session of the skill you are learning, but only ends up being the teacher quickly going through what you have to do and then making us watch 80s film reviews of the skill. If you are not successful with the 2 check-offs, you are out of the program
2. For the tests, we are given a lecture 2 to 3 times a week for 3-4 hours. Some of the teachers are very good at expanding on the powerpoints that are shown, but others are strictly by the powerpoint, word-for-word, and do not give any insight into the material we are speaking about. We have just began this past test to have a review with the teachers the day before the test. How this helps, I haven't figured out yet. It would make more sense to have it at least a few days before the test in order for us to study what we didn't understand a little better.
3. A lot of the teachers act as if we are already nurses and should know everything that nurses do. They are not as helpful as they need to be and seem as if it is a hassle to answer questions that we students direct at them.

I know that nursing programs are difficult and not easy, but my question is for those of you that are in programs in and around the Atlanta area. Are your programs as difficult or do you have direction on learning your nursing skills?

I want to know what I am doing and be a smart, caring nurse. I do not feel that GPC is teaching me this. To throw me into clinical without even feeling comfortable with my skills yet is not my idea of teaching. I feel anxiety very time I walk into the hospital because of the uncomfortableness and I do not want that. I want to be a nurse but I think I need to find another program that is going to allow me to learn what I need to know and not just what I need to know to pass a test.

Please help with any advice. I greatly appreciate your time.

P.S. To all those this past spring that tired to talk me out of going to GPC, I should have listened to you then.

Speaking as a current 2nd year student in GPC's nursing program...GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!

Nov 5, '06

Good luck to you. And, yes, get out soon. This place will ruin you. I am a 2005 casualty of the program, and I'm just now recovering. Several who withdrew 2nd semester when I did are having success at North Georgia and Athens Tech, making A's. It's sad that these same students were failing GPC's program.
Run!

Nov 6, '06

Speaking as someone unfamiliar with GPC, I have some suggestions to offer.

1) After the professor goes over the "skill" and you watch the 80's video, practice, practice, practice the skill with a fellow student or a family member. In my program the professors tell us we need to PRACTICE the skill on our own time in order to become confident in the skill. If you just listen to the skill review and then watch a video it would be hard for anyone to pass a skills check off if they did not practice afterwards.

2) Read before lecture! Have a list of questions that you need clarification on for the lecture. It doesn't matter if the professor has powerpoint. If you are prepared and say "After reading the chapter last night, I did not really understand why...." First, this shows that you are prepared for lecture. Second, this allows you to have a better understanding of the lecture even if you do not have any questions.

I hope things turn around for you. Nursing school is challenging. I assume students do graduate from GPC. My suggestion is to find some students from your class that are doing well, I am sure there are some, and ask them what they are doing. If it is working for them, then it may just work for you, too. Maybe they are reading ahead and practicing in skills lab. Some people have to try harder than others in Nursing school. Some students do not take notes, read chapters, and barely study. Other students have to take notes, record lectures, read chapters ahead of lecture, and study six hours a day. Find out which student you are and follow your own plan.

Sincerely,
Jay

Nov 6, '06

Quote from jb2u

I hope things turn around for you. Nursing school is challenging. I assume students do graduate from GPC.

Actually, very few graduate from GPC. 26 out of the original 150 students who began in Fall 2004 finished. The numbers are daunting. Try to apply to other schools now, just in case. Best of luck to you.

Nov 6, '06

I got accepted in the fall semester of 2004 and experienced the same thing. Needless to say I dropped my nursing courses at GPC and applied somewhere else. I am happy to say that I am an RN working at Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. I went to Gordon College in Barnesville,Ga which is also an ADN program. They were very organized and the professors were encouraging. They would always say things like...you can do it...when you graduate.....etc... I was shocked. Yes it was still a difficult program but they prepared me mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually for what I would face throughout my nurising career. They all had an open door policy. A professor was always there to answer questions and give support. If you needed a shoulder to cry on they were there for that too. I dont get why GPC tries to be such a cut throat program. If you decide to stay all I can say is take a deep breath, take it one day at a time, and don't be afraid to ask questions. They are there to teach you!!

Nov 6, '06

Dear WestHeat,

Some of the complaints you have about GPC sound similar to what I felt about the program I went through at Clayton State, and also what I've heard from other students in other programs...everyone felt their program was disorganized, that there was a lot of teaching from the PowerPoint, and that there was too much information given too quickly in too poor a manner for it to sink in. No time for questions and too little hands-on teaching.

The reality is you could probably teach yourself most of what you need to know to pass the NCLEX w/o the aid of four semesters of nursing school. In fact, I think most of what I learned while in nursing school I learned on my own (although I made it a point to never miss a class).

Focus on simply getting through the program (and/or getting into another one if you want). You probably won't be completely happy with any program you attend in the Atlanta area, but you may be happier than you are at GPC. Remember that all you need to to do is graduate...C = RN, so just focus on passing everything so you can get yourself out of nursing school and move on to better things. Don't stress yourself out trying to keep an over-achiever's GPA. Focus on getting out!

It sounds like you have a real heart for nursing and caring for your patients. Try getting a summer externship. Those give you very valuable clinical hours that will supplement what you get in school and you'll learn a lot. Also consider taking a NCLEX prep course while in school b/c they can also help you a lot with classes you're currently taking. Many students at my school took The Hurst Review. I took it and loved it. I highly recommend it! It also helped me a whole lot in my classes and once you pay to take it, you can retake it for free as often as you want until you pass the NCLEX. I took it once while in nursing schoool, and again once I graduated before the NCLEX.

Hope something I said helps.

Adonai

Nov 7, '06

This is what Georgia Perimeter College said:

40%, or 70 of the 174 students in this program scheduled to graduate in 2004-2005 went on to graduate.

100%, or 70 of the 70 students who graduated in that year who reported applying for employment at the time of graduation, found employment in this field.

100%, or 70 of the 70 graduates in this program taking the NCLEX-RN administered by the State of Georgia Board of Nursing between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005 passed that examination.

Right now Im a freshman in a community college hopefully transfering to Georgia in January. What other community colleges in Atlanta have a Associates Degree program for Nursing.

Nov 7, '06

Just curious to know where you got that information about the statistics...I would be very interested in seeing that. For your other schools, I am not sure which other ones offer an ADN program, but there are some. I apologize for not knowing exactly which ones. Good luck

Nov 8, '06

Gordon College in Barneville, Georgia (about 1 hour outside of Atlanta) has an ADN program. I think North Georgia College also has an ADN program. I'd like to know where GPC got those statistics from also. I would also like to know why they dont have pictures up of their 70 2005 graduates up yet!! 2006 graduate photos are up? I think they overexaggerated that number and their pass rate. Word is their nursing program is under probation for NCLEX fail rates and amount of graduates they have each year. I think they had a 100% pass rate one year but heck when you graduate 15 students how could they all not pass!!!

Nov 8, '06

According to the Georgia Board of Nursing's website...
in 2004 63 took the test and 63 passed...that's 100%.
From the years 2001-2004 they have graduated almost 300 students and have an overall pass rate of 93%.

Just curious to know where you got that information about the statistics...I would be very interested in seeing that. For your other schools, I am not sure which other ones offer an ADN program, but there are some. I apologize for not knowing exactly which ones. Good luck

It's in the this form called "Truth in Advertising" that there are making me sign. I only want to take core classes but yet I have to get a Hepatitis B shot and sign this form...

Nov 9, '06

I graduated from GPC in May of this year. It was the worst 2 years of my life and I would strongly suggest getting out now while you don't have too much time invested. It's better than getting to the 3rd semester, failing out and then having to wait for a spot at another school (but your gpa will be killed by that point anyway).

People were failed out not only for not passing tests but for ridiculous, completely subjective crap in clinicals and on check offs.

50% of surviving the program is who you get for clinicals. It's complete luck. The other 50% is how well you test and how well you do under stress during check offs (and I mean STRESS). People were having diarrhea and vomiting before and after check offs. Someone actually passed out during a check off one time.

I have a friend who started the program with me, failed out early in the 3rd sememster (she had a panic attack during a math test - you only have 2 chances to make 100% and if you don't - you fail the whole semester). Anyway, she got into N GA in Kennesaw and loves it. She says it's a whole different world.

The only way I made it thru was with antidepressants and a VERY supportive husband (and a lot of luck with who I got for clinicals). You can kiss any of your free time away.

I'm now a RN at Emory and let me tell you - nursing school does not have to be that way. My friends who went to Emory had a completely different experience - a good one.

I heard a couple of horror stories about the program before I enrolled but thought, "How hard can it be?" Boy was I wrong. I studied 24/7 and made C's all semesters except 1 I made a B.

Do not go to this school. They make you feel like crap and are not supportive.